What should I know before using AI tools for the first time?

Before using AI tools for the first time, you should know that they're assistants that generate text based on patterns in their training data, not all-knowing oracles, so you'll need to verify important facts they produce. Think of an AI writing tool like a very eager intern who has read a huge portion of the internet. That intern can draft emails, brainstorm ideas, summarize articles, and even write code. But sometimes the intern confidently makes things up. For example, if you ask an AI to write a product description for a fictional coffee brand, it might invent a founding year of 1987 even though you never mentioned one. That's called a hallucination, and it happens because the AI is predicting what words should come next, not checking a database of truth. A practical tip: start with low-stakes tasks. Use AI to draft a birthday message, outline a blog post, or rewrite a paragraph you're stuck on. This builds your intuition for what the tool does well and where it struggles. You'll also want to learn basic prompting. Instead of typing 'write about dogs,' try 'write a 150-word paragraph about why golden retrievers make good family pets, aimed at first-time dog owners.' The more specific your request, the better the output. One more thing: don't paste sensitive personal information like passwords, medical records, or confidential work documents into public AI tools. Most platforms store conversations to improve their models. For a deeper dive, see our guide on how to write AI prompts. **Related**: What are the most common mistakes beginners make with AI tools? | How do I write a good AI prompt as a beginner?